"I have always been struck by the depth and originality of her music and her voice. Her musical vision is a bold and beautiful one."
Ben Monder, Guitarist and Composer
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Sunny Kim is a Korean-born vocalist, improviser, composer, and educator based in Australia. Drawing from her life journey as a global nomad - Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Denver, Boston, New York and now Melbourne - Sunny’s artistic practice seeks to find meaningful connections to people, culture, and place through a dedication to self-discovery, deep listening, and collaboration.
A two-time winner of Jazz People’s Magazine’s Reader’s Poll Awards in the Best Vocalist category (2012-13) and the recipient of the LIG Artist grant (2011), Sunny Kim has released five albums as a leader, Android Ascension (2008), Painter’s Eye (2012), The Shining Sea: Live at the Olympus Hall (2014), The Dream of the Earth (2016), and Tribute (2019), three of which have been nominated for the Korean Music Awards in the Best Jazz Record category. Sunny has recorded as a featured vocalist on numerous records such as After Dark (Prana Trio, 2005), White with Foam (MadLove, 2009), and Keep Your Heart Right (Roswell Rudd Quartet, 2007).
After completing her studies in jazz under the mentorship of Bob Moses, Jerry Bergonzi, Dominique Eade, Charlie Banacos, and Frank Carlberg at the New England Conservatory in Boston, Sunny went on to work closely with hundreds of improvising musicians from all over the world including luminaries such as Roswell Rudd, Ben Monder, Trevor Dunn, Ran Blake, Min Xiao-Fen, Pheeroan Aklaff, Gino Sitson, Darius Jones and Okkyung Lee. She has toured internationally and has performed at various venues around the world including the Carnegie Hall, Newport Jazz Festival (USA), Taichung Jazz Festival (Taiwan), ATP Festival (UK), Piacenza Jazz Festival (Italy), Jarasum Jazz Festival, Yeosu Expo (Korea), Barunga Festival, and the Arts Centre Melbourne (Australia).
Sunny has received grants from the Korea Arts Council to create various inter-disciplinary works with poets, dancers, and visual artists including large-scale performances, Act of Resolution (2011) and Diaspora (2012) with the contemporary dance company Mooe (Seoul) and Painter’s Eye (2012) with painter and poet Sun Doo Kim. Her composition “Everywhere” was featured in the soundtrack of the film Late Autumn (2010) by director Kim Tae-Yong.
As an educator, Sunny has facilitated hundreds of developing musicians from diverse backgrounds to find their creative voice through the cultivation of intuition, body awareness, and collaborative skills. Since 2007, Sunny has lectured at Hanyang University, Seoul Institute of the Arts, Soongshil University, and Dankuk University (Korea) and has led workshops at the Creative Music Intensive (Australia) as well as the Indigenous Songwriting Workshop at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (Canada). A former Assistant Professor at Dong-Ah Institute for Media and Arts, Sunny currently lectures at the University of Melbourne in Jazz and Improvisation.
A frequent collaborator of the Australian Art Orchestra (AAO), Sunny has been working with two Yolngu manikay songmen, Daniel and David Wilfred, since 2017 in AAO’s Hand to Earth project. In 2020, Sunny was invited by the Australian Music Centre to present the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address.
“Kim’s haunting voice doesn’t stay within any tradition. Her processed vocals soar over us like aurora borealis.”
Martin Busink, Musique Machine Magazine
"Delivering haunting melody lines... Kim's winding, electronically manipulated vocal recalls early Ursula Dudziak."
Larry Nai, Cadence Magazine
“Haunting... gorgeous and pliable... Kimʼs vocals are hushed, reminding at times of Rhiannon from the San Francisco womanʼs collective alive of some 25 years ago... Kimʼs vocal is not a scat like Ella, but an open sound, ala Annette Peacock.”
Mark E. Gallo, JazzReview.com
"That simple but refined flavor is evident throughout Painter's Eye, from the shimmering ripples of "Bloom and Wither" to the hushed, uneasy drones of "Ink Silence." Kim is expressive but controlled, connecting emotionally with a stark sense of constraint.”
Shaun Brady, Jazz Times
“[Sunny Kimʼs] bell-like vocal instrument, clean phrasing, and distinct, confident tone ring true from beginning to end... extremely talented and likable.”
Michael G. Nastos, AllMusic.com
“A crystalline voice that delivers the lines with controlled passion.”
David Dupont, Cadence Magazine
“Sunny Kimʼs voice sings, murmurs, cajoles, and whispers with intelligence, clarity, and beauty... she has more than enough chops to run away with the show.”
David Wayne, JazzReview.com
“The collaboration of Kim's Korean lyrics and Ben Monder's moody guitar make Painter's Eye absolutely shine. The entire album is something of a stunning experience, and it might just break a few hearts, too."
Dave Sumner, AllAboutJazz
"Sunny is a fine and studied singer. With her conservatory background and chops, she is capable of taking on any kind of a challenge. In my music she handles the compositional demands with great eloquence and expertise...very sensitive to the musical and emotional demand of each song. I'm singing on the trombone and Sunny is a great complement to my efforts."
Roswell Rudd, Jazz trombonist
"Sunny has rich and beautiful texture, perfect pitch and excellent musicianship. She's an intelligent singer and a true artist. It makes me absolutely delighted to hear the way she approaches Steve's [Lacy] songs."
Irene Aebi, Jazz vocalist
"Sunny's influence range from Bjork to Billie Holiday with lyricism and emotional presence that are all her own."
Dominique Eade, Jazz vocalist
“Her voice travels in bright shards - pellucid even through the tiny speakers of a pair of ear buds. It carries life force, culture, and reaches for connection.”
Peter Knight, Trumpeter and the Artistic Director of Australian Art Orchestra
“[Sunny Kim]’s a totally spiritual singer but also has a strong command of her craft.”
Darius Jones, Jazz saxophonist
“Sunny’s performances capture the hearts and minds of her audiences and collaborators alike through her honest and spiritual approach and the purity, depth, and flexibility of her sound.”
Aviva Endean, Clarinetist and Improviser
“Sunny’s music is as if I shut my eyes and imagined what new music could sound like. Surprise, suspense, imagination, and great taste make for great music.”